


Crazy Ex Boyfriend

by foxes_in_henrietta



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: F/M, M/M, Mentions of Suicidal Thoughts, Multi, Rare Ship, crazy ex girlfriend au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 11:57:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15840816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxes_in_henrietta/pseuds/foxes_in_henrietta
Summary: Nicky, a rich lawyer from Seattle, finds himself distressing over the meaningless of life when an old flame shows up and sends him into a craze to find that spark again. He drops everything and moves across the country to follow the man of his dreams.Based on the TV show Crazy Ex Girlfriend on CW.For the AFTG Big Bang





	Crazy Ex Boyfriend

Nicky Hemmick pulled the beads closer to his station and covered the bracelet he was making with his hand so Kevin couldn’t see it from across the table. He stared up at his boyfriend and sighed happily. Kevin wasn’t paying attention. He never really did because he got so into his craft. Nicky loved that intensity about him. He was so clever and sensitive and Nicky couldn’t help but just stare at him. How was he so lucky to have a guy like him? Kevin was tall and fit and always wore swim trunks in case of a late night dip in the lake. Nicky thought he looked really good in orange, which was the camp color that year. 

Camp Foxy was a creative summer camp for teens who had a flare for the dramatics. Nicky went every year to “get his theatrical side out,” as his parents liked to say. He had performed in every single camp show for the past six summers, and this year he finally got to sing a solo. The best part of it all was that Kevin watched it. Kevin bought him an ice cream cone after the performance and they both walked around the lake before returning for the last craft of the summer. 

Nicky looked back down to his bracelet and put some of the final beads on it. He hummed his solo to himself over and over, trying to get Kevin to look up and talk to him. Finally, he was finished with his bracelet. He put his hand on top of Kevin’s and smiled at him. 

“This has been the best summer. I feel like I grew so much and that I just have a bigger understanding of who I am now. You know? Like, I just feel that this summer we all grew. And no one more than me. And I had you.” He forced his hand inside of Kevin’s hand and gave a small tug so the other boy would look at him. “You know?” 

Kevin looked up from his craft and took a moment to register what Nicky was saying to him. “Oh. Uh, yeah. This summer was great.” 

“Yeah, and I just feel like there is so much potential for the rest of the year. You know, we’re just going to stay so close.” Nicky took his other hand and pulled them close to his face so he could kiss them. 

Kevin pulled his hands away before he could kiss them and finished working on the bracelet. “Yeah. About the rest of the year. Listen, Nicky--” 

“Oh, I made you this.” Nicky picked up his bracelet and tied it around Kevin’s wrist. It was a little too tight but Nicky didn’t notice the wince on Kevin’s face. “See, look. It says NH + KD. That’s Nicky Hemmick and Kevin Day.” 

Kevin nodded and turned the bracelet around. It was impressive for a beaded bracelet. He put his hands in his lap. “This summer has been great. And thanks for giving me that blow job in the forest on the second night. You’re always going to be the first guy I let go down on me.” 

Nicky smiled. “Oh, it was nothing. Just a little skill I had to research on the internet a few times.” He smiled. 

“I think you’re special. You sounded great in your solo. Those three words really stood out.” Kevin played with his bracelet and Nicky wondered when he was going to hand it over and tie it around his hand. These were supposed to be bracelets that you give with a promise to call the person over the summer. He looked closer at it. All it said was Dad.

“Dad?” Nicky mouthed. 

Kevin looked down at the bracelet and nodded. “This is for my dad,” he said. 

“But you aren’t going to give one to me?” Nicky asked. 

“See that’s the thing. This has been a great summer but I live all the way in South Carolina and you live here in Washington. It’s kind of a long way apart. You’re always gonna be my summer fling.” Kevin punched Nicky’s shoulder gently and stood up. Nicky quickly followed. 

“Wait. What are you saying? Kevin, are you breaking up with me?” Nicky asked. 

“I think it’s for the best. Look, my dad is here.” Kevin made to move but Nicky grabbed his hand.

“Kevin, we can make this work.” His voice squeaked. “Long distance is fine.” 

Kevin didn’t seem to care that Nicky was hanging off his arm. He continued to walk and Nicky had no choice but to continue with him. “I really want to make it work, but I just don’t think it will. Look, Nicky, it’s not me, it’s you.” They neared the pick up area where cars were backed up and waiting for their children to get in. Kevin waved at his dad across the parking lot. “You’re just too dramatic.” 

There was a car honk. Nicky looked over and saw his father in their SUV. He turned back to Kevin. “I’m not dramatic,” he told him. “What you and I have is magical. You’re the first guy I let cup me through my pants.” Another honk. “I’ll be right there, father.” 

“Yeah, I know. And it felt great. We had great times here. You’ll always remember it.” Kevin pulled away again. “I have to go.” He started out towards his father. 

“No! Kevin. Don’t go. I’m not dramatic! I can be cool,” Nicky shouted out to him. “I’m not dramatic!” Another honk; this time it seemed to last forever. “Oh my God, shut up you stupid bitch!” Nicky screamed at his father. 

 

Nicky was late walking into Sterling and Sterling’s law firm in Seattle. He clutched his coffee tight and a folder was pressed firmly against his chest as he stomped over to his desk. 29 years old and he was doing fine. He had a high salary as a lawyer, an apartment to himself, a 401k, and life insurance. He was living the dream that his father had wanted him to live. As he got to his desk, he placed his files and coffee down to log into his computer. The first email he noticed was from his father. It was entitled, “Top ten failures before age 30.” Nicky automatically moved it to his trash folder. He put his head in his hand as he scrolled through the rest of his emails. 

Behind him, Margo, a member of Nicky’s team, came up and tapped his shoulder. Nicky jumped in surprise and turned around in his chair. He was a little suspicious of the giant smile that Margo had on her face. 

“What?” Nicky asked. He stood up and crossed his arms. No one ever really kept secrets around the office. 

“I shouldn’t tell you this but I have to,” Margo squeaked. “I was just in with Alice and Tanya and they were telling me that you got it.” She squealed and started bouncing up and down. 

Nicky’s mouth fell open and he gripped her hand which she gripped back in happiness. “The p-promotion?” he gasped. “Junior partner?” 

“Yes!” Margo laughed. Nicky squealed too and they both embraced for a moment. “But you can’t tell anyone I told you. You have to act surprised.” 

Nicky nodded his head. “Of course. Yeah. This is huge. This is...this is amazing. Dad would be so pleased.”    
Margo looked at him with a huge smile on her face. “Oh yeah, they want to see you right now.” 

“Right now?” Nicky asked. 

“Yes, right now. Go.” Margo pushed him towards the offices of the partners. Nicky felt a little dizzy. Was this really happening now?

He walked down the shiny hallways towards the large glass doors that held Sterling and Sterling inside them. He tapped them gently and walked inside. The two women, Alice and Tanya, were sitting in two corporate chairs, straight and serious. Nicky came in and sat down when one of them gestured to a seat. 

“Hello, Nicholas. It’s so good to see you again,” one of the ladies said. Was that Alice or Tanya? 

“It’s good to see you too. Both of you. I was a little shocked when you said you wanted to see me.” Nicky smiled at them. 

“Well, I don’t see why. You’re the best GP we have here. So hard working. You haven’t taken a day off since you’ve gotten here.” They all laughed. Nicky felt worse. He hadn’t taken a day off. He hadn’t done anything for himself in ten years. 

“I’m just trying my best,” Nicky said with a fake smile. 

“We know that. And we’re sure your hard work has paid off,” one of the Sterlings said. “We want to make you junior partner.” 

Nicky knew it was coming, but knowing it was real was so scary. He looked out the window and saw a single cloud in the sky. He never saw clear skies anymore.    
“Wow. Junior partner. This is so real. Thank you so much,” he said, still looking out the window. “That’s so much to think about. I’ll have to think about it.” He stood and started backing out of the office. “Let me just think about it for a moment.” He ran out into the hallway and down the stairs, out of the building. 

Outside, he leaned against the building’s wall and put his head back against the bricks. He dug in his pockets for a bottle of medication. “Only for emergencies. Only for emergencies,” he kept saying to himself. He ripped the cap off and pills went everywhere. “Shit. Fuck.” He got down on his knees to collect them. Tears started rolling down his cheeks. 

Nicky scooped up as much pills as he could and placed them back into the bottle. He looked towards a puddle on the ground from the recent rainfall. It was Seattle; rain was in the forecast every morning. Nicky saw his reflection in the puddle and then in the distance behind his head, a neon sign. He looked up to see the glowing advertisement. To his surprise it said, “Look for your sign.” 

Nicky looked back to the puddle, and then back to the sign. He closed his eyes and clutched his hands together, holding the pill bottle between them. “God, I haven’t talked to you in forever, mostly because of the things dad put me through. But I need a sign right now. Please. Thanks.” He opened his eyes and moved even closer to the puddle.

Illuminated in the water’s reflection upside down above Nicky’s head, was a sign. “Here’s your sign,” it said with a large arrow pointing to something. Nicky lifted his head. The arrow looked like it was pointing to a strip club, but it was actually pointing at a man in front of a stop light. He stared for a long while. Why did this man look so familiar? He got to his feet and dusted off his trousers. The man was checking his phone, but when he lifted his head Nicky knew who it was immediately. 

How could it be Kevin? After all these years and so far away from the last place they met. He started walking. Kevin was here. Kevin was the last time he felt truly happy. He started walking faster, his dress shoes splashing through puddles on the ground. As Kevin crossed the street, Nicky followed. 

“Kevin?” he called towards the man. He ran a little faster, pushing past other bystanders on the street to get to him. “Kevin!” 

Kevin turned around to face whoever was calling his name. He was completely surprised when he saw a guy who looked familiar. He was dressed all fancy and looked like he shouldn’t be running down the streets of Seattle. Kevin waited for the man to get closer before he recognized him, or who he used to be. 

“Nicky? Nicky Hemmick?” Kevin asked. He was astonished. Out of all the places. 

Nicky ran up to him and took a deep breath. “Yeah. Hey, oh my God,” he cried. “I can’t believe it.”    


“I can’t believe it,” Kevin said. His mouth was open as Nicky wrapped him in a hug. “What are you doing here?” 

“I should ask you that. What are you doing here?” Nicky asked. 

“Just visiting. I had some friends that wanted to see the original Starbucks,” Kevin told him. 

Nicky laughed. It wasn’t funny but Nicky didn’t know what else to do. “Yeah, that’s over there.” He smiled. “I work here. Just up in Sterling and Sterling’s.” He pointed up at the big building looming over them. 

“Oh so you’re a…” Kevin trailed off because he didn’t know what Nicky was. He looked up and down at Nicky’s suit.    


“A lawyer,” Nicky finished for him. He was smiling now and shifting back and forth on his feet. “It’s so weird, you know. I was just thinking about camp today. It’s been like what? 13 years?” 

Kevin nodded. “Yeah, those were some crazy times.” 

“And what are the odds you’d be here in Seattle. So w-where do you live now?” Nicky asked, running his hand up the back of his neck to look casual. 

“I still live in South Carolina. Born and raised. Columbia,” Kevin said. He pumped his hands up in a ‘raise the roof’ style. 

“Oh yeah. South Carolina. Racism and the Atlantic ocean.” Nicky smiled. 

“Yeah, well I think the racism thing is North Carolina,” Kevin tried to say. 

“There’s racism all over, Kevin,” Nicky corrected. He nodded his head and smiled because he knew he was right. His smile was a bit sarcastic. 

“True. And the beach is about three hours away,” Kevin told him. Nicky laughed. Kevin was so pretty. 

“So how long are you here for?” Nicky wished he could touch Kevin’s hair. It was so nice and styled. 

“Oh, I’m actually going to the airport now. But if you’re ever in Columbia, hit me up.” Kevin gave a wink and touched Nicky’s shoulder. 

Nicky didn’t hear the goodbye. He didn’t register when Kevin walked away and he was left alone. The clouds started to part and all that Nicky could hear was the sound of Kevin’s sweet voice. ‘If you’re ever in Columbia, hit me up’. Nicky sighed happily and put his hands to his heart. He looked to the sky and the sun beamed down, hitting just him. He stepped into traffic, unaware of the cars around him. 

“Columbia.” Nicky sang.  In his mind he imagined birds flying around him and singing as well. Cars honked at him as he waltzed through the four way intersection. He took off into a run and sprinted towards his apartment. He opened a suitcase on his bed and started dumping all his clothes into it. He zipped it up and ran down to call himself a taxi. 

Next thing he knew he was on a plane flying across America to South Carolina. “Columbia,” he whispered to himself. 

The person next to him looked over at him and put their earphones in to shut out the humming and singing. Nicky didn’t notice. He was staring out the window, petting the glass gently. 

“Can I get you something, sir?” the flight attendant asked him. Nicky looked over at the woman and smiled gently. 

“Do you know how much longer until we touch down in Columbia?” Nicky asked. He leaned over the person in the middle of the row to talk to the attendant. 

“Oh, not for another six hours.” 

Nicky nodded and gave her a smile bright enough to light up the whole plane. “See, I’m moving to Columbia. I just absolutely fell in love with it. I just needed a fresh change.” 

“Oh, that’s nice.” The attendant tried to move on. 

“What’s funny is that my ex boyfriend lives there. But I didn’t decide to move because of him. It’s just a funny coincidence, isn’t it?” Nicky laughed and then leaned back against his seat. The attendant moved on as quickly as she could. 

“It sounds like you’re moving there because of your ex,” the person next to him said. “If I were to move, it’d be away from any ex.” 

“Oh no. It’s just...a coincidence. I heard about it from Kevin, but I’m not going for Kevin. It’s been like over ten years since we were together.” Nicky realized that he forgot to order a drink so he tapped the call button. 

“Yes, sir?” the flight attendant asked. She looked a little annoyed.    


“Yes. Can I get a Chardonnay please?” Nicky smiled. 

 

Nicky watched as the town passed by his window. The cab ride from the airport to downtown Columbia took no time at all. Nicky watched all the buildings pass by and memorized all the large signs that depicted bars and clubs. He also spotted a sign for a law firm ‘Boyd and Co’. Nicky smiled as he exited the cab. He waved cheerily to the cab driver and practically skipped to the house in front of him. A lady stood in front of the home with a folder full of papers and a key. Nicky walked up to her and placed his bags down to shake her hand. 

“Nicholas Hemmick,” the woman said happily. She unlocked the door and welcomed him inside. “You just got in?” she asked.    


“Yeah. I just came here from Seattle. It’s actually a funny story. My ex boyfriend showed up and mentioned this place and it sparked something for me,” Nicky explained as he looked around the house and then took the files to sign them without looking at them. “I just needed a change and now I’m here.” 

The lady smiled and pretended to listen. “Well, from what we talked about over the phone, you’re going to love this house. It is a wonderful neighborhood. Wonderful neighbors and so many great opportunities nearby.” 

Nicky smiled. “That’s amazing.” Nicky handed back the pen and took his bag to the bedroom. The woman was left standing there and then walked out when she realized Nicky wasn’t coming back. 

Nicky took the rest of the night to unpack the little clothes he had with him. He’d end up making a run to Target or some store to spruce up his new home later on. 

Later that night, Nicky sat down on his bed in his flannel pajamas and curled his legs under him. He took out his phone and opened a new text message on his phone. He began to type and then stopped to start again. 

_ Hey Kevin! You told me if ever I was in the area to give you a ring. Well, RING! I just got in town tonight. Let me know if you want to get dinner  _ _   
_

Nicky paused for a moment and thought. Dinner was too formal. He didn’t want to seem desperate.    


_ Breakfast.  _

He thought again. Breakfast was something you’d get after spending the night together. 

_ Drinks. Love to catch up with you. -N _

He sent it before he could rethink it. He placed it next to him and went to brush his teeth. When he returned, he was disappointed to find that Kevin hadn’t texted back. He sat down on the bed and stared at the phone. Maybe he was busy. Maybe the text didn’t go through. Nicky checked the message delivery. It was sent. He got it, but he didn’t answer. He hadn’t read it yet. Nicky curled up on his bed and closed his eyes to try and get some sleep. 

Nicky woke up early the next morning and quickly grabbed his phone to check the messages. He scrolled past a few from his father and then frowned when he saw nothing from Kevin. He put the phone down and threw himself back on the bed. He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. 

He let himself only have a moment before he sat back up and got ready for his first day at a new firm. An hour after he left Sterling and Sterling to buy a plane ticket, he was on the phone with Boyd and Co law firm. With his credentials and his degrees from Harvard and Yale, Nicky got the job within minutes. Matthew Boyd, the owner, was ecstatic to have him aboard. Nicky told him he would be in tomorrow since he was moving to town that day. Matthew said they’d have a spot open and ready for him. And that was how Nicky got a job in his new town. 

He put on a blue button down shirt and checked his hair in the mirror three times. He had to be prepared to run into Kevin at any time here. He didn’t know how small the town was yet. He called an Uber as he was brushing his teeth. He had to make sure he was as hot as he could be. It wasn’t that difficult. 

Once he got to Boyd and Co., he walked into the small office and looked around. It was no Sterling and Sterling with the glass walls and doors; this was small and intimate. It had an old smell to it and odd decorations in every corner. Nicky ran a finger over the reception desk and pulled his briefcase close to his chest. In the corner of the office, a small blonde man stood up and spied over at the newcomer. 

Matthew Boyd, one of the tallest men Nicky had ever seen, came out of his office with a large grin and a larger hand outstretched to him. Nicky shifted his briefcase under his arm and shook Matt’s hand. 

“Nicholas Hemmick! I can’t believe you made it in just one day.” Matthew pulled him into a hug and Nicky accepted it with a fake smile. 

“I’m here. Please call me Nicky,” Nicky said as they pulled away. He handed his briefcase to Matthew and pulled out his phone to check for messages. Again, there were none. 

Matthew took the briefcase with a small ‘ouf’ and walked Nicky over to his office. “Nicky, you can call me Matt. We cleared this office out for you. I hope it’s good enough.” Nicky looked up from his phone and around the small office. It was plain, white walls, white carpet. 

“Yeah. This can work,” Nicky said. Matt placed his briefcase on the desk. “I’ll bring in some plants or something.” Nicky looked down to the phone. Still nothing. He put it in his pocket. 

“We’re not that big of a firm. Really we don’t cover big important cases and we just hire anyone with a paralegal degree but you, wow.” Matt smiled brightly. “You are so overqualified for this job. It’s amazing that you even wanted it.” 

“Well, you know. When you move towns, you got to find a job somewhere. And this one was as good as any.” Nicky accepted some paperwork that Matt had in his hand and laid them out on the desk to sign. 

“I was hoping you’d take on some of the important cases we get here. Like burglary and divorces,” Matt told him. He looked down at the paperwork.    


“Oh, I mostly do fraud work and property law.” Nicky signed his name in a few swirls. 

“I know, but you’re from Harvard. And Yale. That’s like big, wow. If you led us, it’ll really give this team the boost they need.” Matt took the papers. 

“I’ll see what I can do.” Nicky looked up to his boss. “If one were to go out on the town with a really cute boy and like get dinner with him, where would one go?” he asked. “In like a total friends way.  You know like ‘I was once your boyfriend and we fooled around at summer camp but now I’m here and we’re just friends’ type of place.” 

Matt opened his mouth and closed it again. “I guess just like a bar or something. Eden’s is good.” Nicky nodded as he took in that information. 

“Good. That’s good.” 

Outside, the small man listened in. He soaked up every word he could hear from the office. “Who does he think he is? Coming in here and becoming the top dog. There are more talented people in this firm that deserve that office.” He turned to the woman sitting next to him. “There’s something fishy about him. He keeps looking down at his phone.”  The woman opened her mouth to say something but the man kept going. “You’re right, Renee. I need to find out who he is.” 

Matt took Nicky around the office and began to introduce him to all the different employees. Nicky shook everyone’s hand cordially and then moved onto the next person. He got to the small man and extended his hand. The other didn’t do the same. 

“This is Andrew. Head of paralegal. He’s been here for about--” 

“Four years.” Andrew crossed his arms. He looked Nicky up and down. “You’ve been here three minutes.” 

“It’s great to meet you. I hope to get to know all of you a lot better,” Nicky said, ignoring Andrew’s veiled threat. He got a notification on his phone and looked down at it. 

The notification was from Facebook saying that Kevin Day checked in to Eden’s Twilight. It was odd since it was 1 pm on a Tuesday. He looked up and smiled. “I got to run. It was great meeting you all. Matt, send me a copy of those forms for my personal bank.” He ran out of the office and down the hall to call an Uber. He needed a car. 

Andrew looked to Renee and then to his computer. “Matthew. What’s that nice man’s full name?” Renee gave him a look of annoyance. 

Matt looked down at his papers and tried to read Nicky’s loopy signature. “Nicholas Esteban Hemmick,” Matt said. “Do you have those docs on the Rivers vs State trial?” 

Andrew waved his hand at Matt which silenced him and caused him to walk away. He was busy clacking away at his keyboard. Renee looked over the cubicle to see what he was Googling. 

“Nicholas Esteban Hemmick. Graduated with a law degree from Harvard. Well isn’t he just the little Elle Woods.” Andrew sneered. “Law degree from Princeton. What the fuck? He’s too overqualified. I smell something fishy.” He turned to Renee and she nodded at him. 

 

“Thanks,” Nicky said as he stepped out of the car. “I’ll give you five stars.” He slammed the door shut and ran into the bar. 

Eden’s Twilight wasn’t a grand or fancy bar. In the daylight it looked a bit rundown and dirty. He could see the peeling paint and the flickering neon lights. One light said “Exy bar,” and that sign was lit up. Another neon sign said “gay bar,” but that was not turned on. So what was it? Was it an Exy bar or a gay bar? Nicky looked around as he walked in and noticed that there were only a handful of people inside. TVs were on every corner of the bar, multiple games of Exy playing at the same time. People’s eyes were fixed to the screens. No Kevin. Nicky walked to the bar and sat down. “Excuse me?” He rapped on the countertop to get the attention of the staff. 

A blond man turned around from stacking cups. He was tall, wearing a plain white t-shirt and black pants. Not much of a uniform for a gay bar. Or really a sports bar either. The bartender smiled brightly at Nicky and threw a towel over his shoulder. 

“How can I help you?” he asked, leaning forward on the bar. 

“I was wondering if you saw a man walk in here?” Nicky said. The bartender gave him a funny look. There were men all over the bar. 

The bartender took a cup and started wiping it down. “Can I get some details?” He had a slight accent when he spoke. 

“He’s beautiful,” Nicky said.    


“That’s what all the guys say when they come in here asking about a guy,” the bartender said.    


“No. This one was just here. He’s tall and tan and has a cute tattoo on his cheek because he thinks it’s trendy.” Nicky pulled out his phone and showed him the Facebook check in. 

“Oh, Kevin. Yeah he was here to watch a game. You just missed him.” Nicky’s face fell and the bartender obviously saw it. He patted Nicky’s shoulder gently. “Don’t worry. You’re not the first to come running in here asking for a man they met the night before.” 

Nicky looked offended. “Hey. I’m not coming in here after a guy. I just...uh..I needed to talk to him about something.” 

“Sure,” the man said. “Let me get you a drink.” He brought a clean glass over and poured him a beer. 

Nicky looked around. “What’s with the Exy games if this is a gay bar?” 

“Management couldn’t decide whether to be a club or a sports bar. So during the day we are a sports bar. At night this is Eden’s Twilight.” The other man shrugged. 

“Why exy?” Nicky took the beer and stared into the dark liquid. He wasn’t going to turn down a drink at this time. 

The bartender shrugged and continued cleaning his glass that looked like it would never be cleaned. “Columbia's favorite sport. There are so many other sports bars that feature other sports. None that feature Exy.” He looked at him. “It’s Kevin’s favorite game.” 

Nicky perked up at that. “Really? You mean like to play or to watch?” 

The other man shrugged. “He’s on a team.” 

Nicky made a note to stay up all night and learn the rules of exy so he could impress Kevin when they finally got together. “Oh, that’s real interesting.” He pulled out his phone and googled Columbia’s Exy teams. A lot of orange popped up. “You wouldn’t happen to know which team he’s playing for right?” 

“The Palmetto Foxes. It’s a local team.” The bartender was staring at him. “So what’s the deal--”    


“I’m sorry, I don’t know your name,” Nicky said, not looking up from his phone. 

“I’m Erik,” Erik said. 

“And uh...and how long have you known Kevin?” Nicky asked. 

Erik sighed but not loud enough for Nicky to catch. “For about five years now. We’re close friends.” 

Nicky looked up. “Oh wow. So you know all about him?” 

“You didn’t tell me your name.” Erik gave him a smile. Nicky flushed. 

“Nicky. Nicky Hemmick. I just moved here from Seattle,” he said. 

Erik gave him a funny look. “You moved here from Seattle? For Kevin?”    


“No! No. I got a good job opportunity. I didn’t move here for Kevin. Everyone keeps saying I moved here for Kevin and that’s not it. I didn’t move here because of him--” Erik put out a hand. 

“Nicky. It’s okay. It’s just ironic that he’s here.” Nicky took a deep breath at that. “Would you want to go to a party tonight? It’s at a mutual friend’s house.”    


“Oh, sure. Like as friends or..” He trailed off hoping that Erik would get the clue.    


“Yeah, friends, or maybe I was thinking as a date.” 

NIcky perked up at that. “Yeah. Tonight. Yes. I would like that. And uh….Kevin is going to be there too?” When Erik nodded, Nicky stood up from the bar and pocketed his phone. “Okay. Okay, good. I’m going to go purchase a car. And I’ll see you tonight.” He walked out of the bar.    


“At 8,” Erik called after him. 

“Yeah. At 8!” 

“I don’t have your number,” Erik said as he was leaving. Nicky ran back in and wrote his number down. “Text me the address!” He ran out and caught a cab. 

 

The orange Jeep Wrangler wheeled in front of the condo. Nicky stepped out of the car and patted the front as he walked to his home. The door next to his opened up and a small man walked out. Nicky had to step back to get a good look at him. He looked exactly like Andrew Minyard from work. 

“Andrew?” Nicky gasped. He looked to his keys to break the eye contact they had. 

The man, who was not Andrew clearly seen from the disgust on his face, glowered at Nicky. “What the hell is that?” He pointed to the Jeep. 

“Oh. I got a car. I can’t keep getting Ubers to and fro.” Nicky smiled.    


“Orange?” The man scoffed. “Did you have to be so bold with a fucking color like that?” 

Nicky looked at his car and then back at the man. “I heard that Columbia really likes orange.” 

The man rolled his eyes and shut the door. Nicky frowned. No one ever shut the door like that on him. He was a delight and everyone enjoyed him. He looked at his watch; he didn’t have enough time to deal with this. He had so much to do to get ready for Kevin. No. He had to remind himself that he was getting ready for Erik. Erik. That cute boy from the bar. 

Nicky walked into his condo and looked around. It was nicely furnished but not his style. He’d have to fix that when he had a moment. He walked to the bathroom and gripped the sink as he stared in the mirror. 

“Okay, boy. You’re going to look so fucking hot right now.” He pulled down all his skin care items and dumped them in the sink. “You’re going to get Kevin to look at you and say, ‘Oh fuck I should have snatched that up while I had the chance’. Well good news for you, Kevin. You can.”    


Nicky poured a bit of shaving cream in his hand and lathered it on his face. He could hardly grow a beard, but the stubble wouldn’t be unpleasant for kissing necks. Nicky thought about the last time he had his neck kissed. It had been years probably. He began to shave his face.    


“Oh you like that?” Nicky asked his reflection as if it were Kevin, “What about this, baby?” He shaved his other cheek and jumped back with a cry. “Shit fuck ouch.” He had to sit down on the toilet and bite his lip to keep from screaming. “Okay, Kev. You won this round.” 

The aftershave burned as he put it on his skin. He should have known but it had been a while since he had put it on. He felt like the kid in Home Alone. Once his face finally looked presentable, he walked to his bedroom and pulled up his suitcases. He had yet to take any of his clothes out. It took a while to dig through the suitcases until he found his lucky pair of skinny jeans which were starting to get a little too small for him. Nicky turned to face himself in the mirror. 

“Oh you like that? Well sorry, Kevin, not tonight.” Nicky slapped his own ass and made a noise like a sizzling pan. He spun around and looked at himself again. “Oh hey, Erik. Oh this? Just a pair of jeans I’ve had for a while.” He winked. “You can touch.” 

He spent a good hour trying on shirts. He found it frustrating that he didn’t seem to look good in anything. At least not in the way that he could walk into a party and have all the eyes turn and face him. He put on a shiny tank top and looked at himself in the mirror. Maybe if he was twenty again he could pull it off. He pulled it off and sighed. He stared at himself in the mirror for a while before sighing again. 

“Nicholas. You are hot. Sure you’ve gained a few pounds but not much. Look you still have a four pack. You’re still hot enough and tiny enough to be a twink.” He stared at himself for a moment. “Maybe a step above a twink. But you are hot!” He pulled on another shirt, a nice dress shirt with a color that really complimented his dark skin. “That’s what I’m talking about, babe.” He ran to the bathroom to start on his hair. 

His hair was long and floppy. He didn’t like to slick it back in court or in meetings. He liked to keep it fluffy and bouncy. Slicking his hair back made him look like his dad and he hated looking like his dad. It aged him too much. Yes, he wasn’t a teenager anymore, but he was still young and had enough time to have his fun and look good. Nicky thought about all this as he grabbed his favorite pomade. He sniffed the tin before taking a bit in his fingers and pushing it up in his hair to give it a messy, hot look. He winked at himself. Yes, he was ready for Kevin. No. Erik. 

 

Nicky took a long time to get ready, in total about two hours. When Erik came to the door to pick him up, he pulled open the door and smiled. Erik looked him up and down and gave a large grin like he was pleased with what he saw. When Nicky stepped out and shut the door, Erik walked behind him and checked his breath discreetly. Nicky walked to Erik’s shabby little grey car and waited for Erik to open the door for him. 

“You look great,” Erik commented. He opened the door for him with a smile. 

“Oh? It was just something I threw on. Like maybe ten minutes ago,” he lied.    


Erik laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I took a nap and got up about thirty minutes ago to get ready and drive over here.” He shut the door. 

“Oh great,” Nicky said more to himself as the door was being shut.

The drive over to the party wasn’t long. It was filled with a lot of awkward silence and bad attempts at small talk. Erik would ask what Nicky did, Nicky would respond and ask Erik what his job was, where Erik would reply that they met at his work. The conversation dissipated after that. 

Erik and Kevin’s friend Dan lived only about ten minutes away in a house that seemed to be overrun with party goers already. Nicky stepped out of the car and waited for Erik to walk beside him before they headed inside. Dan was a gorgeous woman, long limbs, piercing eyes. If Nicky hadn’t been gay he would have been on his knees begging her to step on him. Hell, even then he wanted her to step on him because he was not worthy. He learned from Erik that she was the captain of their little Exy team. And when Erik said little he meant huge. Nicky made a point to talk to her later and get her opinion on the best Exy books to read. He needed to be prepared to talk to Kevin about anything. 

“Do you want a drink?” Dan asked Nicky and Erik. Erik smiled at her. “I should have you working the drinks, Klose.” 

Klose. Nicky had to remember that. 

“I’d love a beer, Danielle,” Erik Klose said.    


“I have your favorites in the fridge. For you, Nicky?” Dan asked the other man with a smile. 

Nicky was too busy looking around the room to notice. “He’ll take the same,” Erik said. 

Nicky looked to Erik and smiled. “Sure. Beer sounds great.” He walked off towards a wall where a group photo was. The photo had a large team of people all dressed in orange. In the middle stood Kevin. He let his hand reach out and stroke the frame. Kevin looked so good in his shorts. Orange really wasn’t anyone’s color but he was able to pull it off. 

Erik walked closer to him and looked at the picture. “You really like this guy, don’t you? So he’s the reason you--”    
“Hey, do you want to make out?” Nicky asked. He noticed Erik’s shock. 

“Yeah,” Erik chuckled. Nicky moved in and captured his lips.

Erik was a good kisser. Nicky hadn’t kissed anyone in a long time and it felt nice just to have someone pressed against him. He wasn’t really into the kiss, his mind was too distracted. He looked around the room as he kissed Erik. Kevin wasn’t in the room. 

“This room isn’t really working.” Nicky gripped Erik’s arm and pulled him into the kitchen. He kissed him roughly against a cabinet. Erik seemed to enjoy it because he pushed him back, lifting him up onto the counter, his back away from the room. Nicky looked around to see if Kevin was there as Erik kissed at his neck and ran a hand up his shirt. 

“Do you think they have a bedroom here?” Nicky asked, pushing Erik away. 

Erik blushed red at the thought, “Yeah. We can definitely look for one.” He helped Nicky off the counter and walked him up the stairs. Nicky took the lead and looked around the halls to see if his love was around. 

He pushed open a door and looked around. Erik started to kiss his neck as he looked around. “I don’t like this room.” He pulled him to another bedroom that was empty.

Erik walked to the bed and sat down. Nicky looked around and sat down as well. He kissed Erik, hands running all over his body. “Mm, I like this,” he told him. His eyes were still open and staring at the door. 

Erik’s lips stopped and he pulled away. “What are you looking for?”    


Nicky turned to face him and shook his head, “What? Nothing. Nothing, babe.” He wrapped his hands around Erik’s shoulders and kissed him. 

“No.” Erik pushed Nicky’s arms off of him. “No, you’re looking for Kevin. Aren’t you?” 

Nicky shook his head and tried to get Erik to kiss him again. He took his face in between his hands and pulled him closer. “No, no. No, I just wanted to make sure we were alone.” 

Erik nodded. “Okay. Okay.” He kissed him again. Nicky closed his eyes this time and enjoyed the kiss. 

“Okay, but like how long have you known Kevin, again?” Nicky asked. Erik stood up and walked out of the room. “Wait!” Nicky stood up but tripped on a blanket that wrapped around his foot. He kicked it off and ran after him. 

When they got into the front yard, Nicky finally got a grab on Erik’s arm and pulled at him. “Stop it. Wait, it’s not what you think.”    


“You know what? I should have known when you said you left your lawyer job to move to Columbia. I should have known that it was for another reason other than a job. You could have at least been honest and told me that you were here for Kevin.” Erik turned around and held his hands out. “Why did you agree to go to a party with me?” 

“It’s not like that! Erik, I didn’t come here for Kevin. I wanted to get to know you.” Nicky frowned and wrapped his arms around himself. 

“Why are you still lying? It’s like you’re obsessed with him,” Erik said. 

“I’m not,” Nicky told him. “I swear, I’m not.” 

“Well what do you want?” Erik waited for a moment and then shook his head. “Call me when you figure it out, Nicky.” 

Nicky stood in the middle of the lawn, his arms wrapped around himself. He thought how stupid he must look. He didn’t come here for Kevin, he came here for a new start. 

“I know your secret,” said a voice from behind him. 

Nicky turned around to see Andrew standing there. At least it looked like Andrew. It might have been his neighbor. “Andrew?” he ventured. “What are you doing here?” 

“You know, I thought it was weird that someone from a big fucking law firm in Seattle would travel almost three thousand miles to a shitty law firm in some dumb town.” Andrew walked up to Nicky and held up a pile of papers. “Nicholas E. Hemmick. You were offered a job as Junior Partner with Sterling and Sterling and you turned it down. You’re really fucking crazy.” 

“No! I’m not crazy. Look, I came out here because I wasn’t happy with that job. I was depressed and almost suicidal. God, I went outside to have a fucking panic attack. I saw Kevin Day and I felt meaning again. Do you get that?” Nicky asked. He was so annoyed with everyone saying he was crazy.

“Yeah, what is up with this Kevin Day. You’ve been stalking his Facebook. I’ve checked. You’re full on stalking him.” Andrew flipped through the pages and pointed at his search history. “The last ten pages in your search history are all about him. What, are you in love with him?” 

Nicky gripped his hair tightly. “No. I’m not in love with Kevin. I didn’t move here for Kevin. I came here for a new start. Yes, Kevin is here but that doesn’t mean I am here for him.” He shrugged and slapped his legs as he let his hands drop. “I’m not here for Kevin. Yes, Kevin makes me feel all happy inside like a ton of glitter is circling around. Every time I look at Kevin or think about him, I feel like life has meaning again, but no, I’m not in love with him.” He stared at Andrew for a moment, who had his eyebrow raised.    


“Say you’re in love with Kevin,” Andrew said. 

“No. You know why? Because it doesn’t even matter if I was. He hasn’t even answered the text I sent him. He doesn’t care that I am here.” Nicky felt like crying. “It doesn’t matter that I love him That I think about him every minute of the day.”    


NIcky pulled his phone out of his back pocket when he felt it vibrate. He looked down at it and read the text that popped up. 

_ Hey, sorry I just got your text. I was at practice all day and my phone was dead. Love to meet up with you sometime -K  _

Nicky looked up from his phone. “Kevin texted.” He looked at Andrew and smiled. “Kevin just texted me.” 

“Say it.” Andrew crossed his arms. Nicky felt the friendship grow between them. Or at least he hoped so. 

“I love Kevin Day,” Nicky said. His smile widened.    


“Again.”    


“I love Kevin Day!” He looked up at the sky. “I am in love with Kevin Day.” He went forward to hug Andrew who stepped to the side to avoid it. 

“So I am going to make sure you get him,” Andrew told him. “But you owe me,” he said. “I’ll drive you home.” 

 

Nicky found it hard to sleep that night. Andrew had dropped him off at his place after the party and it took him a few hours just to stop smiling and rereading the text message over and over again. Finally, with a smile on his face, he fell asleep. His last thoughts were that in the morning he’d wake up to a new text from Kevin. 

The morning came. The first thing Nicky did was grab his phone and look for any text messages. There were a few from his father but none from Kevin. With a sigh, he put the phone against his chest and stared up at the ceiling. He spent an hour in this position before getting up to resume it on the couch. His hands clutched his phone against his chest as he laid on his back. Kevin wanted to meet up with him, why wasn’t he texting him. 

Nicky picked his phone up again and decided maybe it would be the best option to respond to the text. Maybe he needed to take the first step again. It couldn’t hurt. 

_ Hey Kev! I would love to meet up. Just tell me where. Or when. I’m free anytime. -N  _

Nicky was always the type of person who would text someone back at the sound of a message coming in. Maybe it was his anxiety that made him that way, but he figured that everyone might be the same way. It was driving him crazy that Kevin didn’t seem to grasp the simple idea of messaging someone back. 

It took Nicky a few more hours to get off the couch. He traveled to the kitchen and pulled the fridge open. He had barely anything. Having been in town for only a few days, he hadn’t ever gone shopping. Somehow a can of whipped cream seemed to end up in his refrigerator. Nicky gave a broken sigh and pulled it out. It was nearly empty but he squirted the rest of the contents into his mouth anyway. He pressed his back against the open refrigerator door and swallowed thoughtfully. Did Kevin even mean it? Did he want to see him? Nicky had moved here for….no he didn’t. He moved here for a change, not for Kevin. He had to revert back to that way of thinking before he got his heart broken again. 

Nicky dug through the rest of his cabinets to find something else to calm his heart. When his cabinets came out bare, he pulled out his phone and dialed Andrew’s number. It took two tries before Andrew answered. 

“What,” Andrew snapped.    


“I have nothing to eat in this house and my heart hurts,” Nicky complained. He heard a groan on the other end of the phone and he decided to try again before Andrew hung up. 

“I need to get ice cream and waffles for my house.” There was silence on the other end and Nicky had to look at the phone to tell if he was hung up on. 

“I’ll be over in ten. We can go to the store and pick up snacks.” There was a click as the phone was disconnected. 

Nicky looked down at his sweatpants that he slept in and sighed. His sweatshirt from Harvard was stained with something orange, probably cheeto dust. He was a mess. “You sloppy hoe,” he told himself. He didn’t care though. If it was just a run to the store, he didn’t need to look fancy. 

Andrew arrived in a grand Maserati outside Nicky’s home and honked the horn for a good two minutes before Nicky could get outside. The light in the house next door turned on and Nicky could see a shadow moving. He scurried inside the Maserati and laughed. 

“Go go go. I don’t want Aaron to see us,” Nicky said. 

Andrew waited a moment, staring at the other town house for a moment before driving off. The look in his eye was that of waiting and anticipation. He wanted something that he couldn’t get. Nicky was about to say something but he decided it was safer for him to keep his mouth shut. Andrew was focused on the road. Nicky tapped his fingers on his knees and then watched the road as well. 

After a while he cleared his throat. “So, you got a girlfriend? Boyfriend?” 

“Stop.”    


“Okay.” Nicky put his hands together and placed them gently on his lap. 

Andrew pulled the car into a parking lot in front of the grocery store and turned the car off. He looked over at Nicky for a moment before Nicky got the picture and got out of the car. He walked into the grocery store, and snagged a basket for himself before walking up an aisle. 

Nicky hummed to himself as he picked up a can of sprayable cheese. “Cheese, oh cheese, you sexy can. You understand,” he sang in a nonsense tune. He opened up the can and squirted a string into his mouth. “Kevin ya done messed up. You could have this fabulous ass.” He put his hands on his hips and then placed the can of cheese back on the shelf. 

The heartbreak was settling in. He felt like it was on him again. Kevin had texted him so why wasn’t he texting him now? Nicky walked up the next aisle towards the back where he assumed the ice cream was. He pulled bag after bag of chips down from the shelves into his basket. 

“Kevin, oh can’t you see, I’m in misery,” he sang a little louder. Grease always made him happy. He reached the refrigerators and opened up one of them. “He would have liked chocolate chip,” he said. 

From the corner of his eye, he saw something moving at the other end of the refrigerators. He looked up and saw the best sight he could. Kevin stood there and looked as if he was bathed in a ray of golden light. Kevin was standing ten feet from him. How was he here and not answering his phone?    
Nicky was about to wave at him when he noticed a pretty girl walking up to him. He watched as she wrapped herself around Kevin’s neck and kissed his cheek. Nicky immediately noticed how grubby he looked. He tried to shrink in on himself but the noise of his refrigerator shutting made the couple turn to look at him. 

Nicky waved half heartedly and Kevin took the girl’s arm. “Let’s go this way. I think there’s better ice cream over here,” he said to her.    


The girl pulled away and looked to Nicky again, “Do you know him?” she asked.    


“Kevin,” Nicky said. He walked forward, dropping his bag of junk food on the ground. “Wow. What are the odds of seeing you here.” 

“Thea, this is Nicky. We went to camp together in high school,” Kevin said, his hand raised to Nicky. “Nicky, Thea. My girlfriend since freshman year of high school.” 

Nicky had to pause as he held his hand to shake hers. Freshman year of high school? But Nicky and Kevin had dated sophomore year. Kevin cheated on Nicky with this bimbo. He looked Thea up and down. God, she was hot. She had curves everywhere and toned legs, toned ass. She must do some kind of yoga or something. 

“Oh. That’s...wow you’ve been together that long?” He laughed. “What are the odds I’d run into you two?” He asked. He took her hand and shook it furiously. She smiled just as fake as he did.

“Wow. Kevin has told me nothing about you.” Thea laughed as well. Obviously she was threatened which was strange. Kevin probably never even told her he had a thing with a guy. 

“I mean, why would he?” Nicky laughed. “But wow. So weird.” Nicky’s voice grew higher.    


“I know, right?” Thea’s voice grew higher as well.    


“So what do you do?”    


“Oh, Thea runs a spin class every day. And she’s also on my Exy team.” Kevin put a hand on Thea’s side and stared at Nicky like he was afraid Nicky would say something. 

“That’s so amazing. I love spin class. And exy? Wow,” Nicky said.    


Thea’s face lit up at that. She found prey and she was about to pounce. “You should totally come to a class then,” she said. “And come to a practice to watch.”    


“I would love that.” Nicky’s voice grew even higher and he saw Andrew appear in an aisle nearby. 

“And we’d love to have you.” Thea tossed her hair and wrapped her arms around Kevin. 

Three men walked out of an aisle and stood to watch the others as they raged on. Nicky turned towards them and then looked to Kevin. 

“Oh. Nicky, this is Neil, Jean, and Jean’s boyfriend Jeremy,” Kevin said, pointing to each man. 

Neil, the shortest of the friends, was staring at Andrew, not even showing Nicky a thread of interest. 

Andrew walked over to Neil and Neil walked up to him. For a moment they looked like they were going to kill each other. Andrew had his fist clenched at his sides. “You look like shit.” 

“Well I learned from you,” Neil replied easily.

Andrew nodded and crossed his arms. “I hate you.”    


“Yeah. What else is new?” Neil walked down an aisle, away from the others, and Andrew followed behind him. 

Everyone stood stock still for a good minute, all staring in shock at the two small humans walking away from them. Nicky could see Neil try to reach for Andrew’s hand but he pulled it away fast. Neil seemed to accept it, but got closer to him as well. He turned to the others and raised an eyebrow. The only one that was smiling, was the one that seemed to radiate sunshine, Jeremy. He wrapped his arm around his boyfriend’s arm and smiled at Nicky. 

‘They’ve been dating for a few years now. But their jobs are too busy to spend time together. Andrew’s a lawyer--”    


“Paralegal,” Nicky cut him off.    


“Neil’s a professional Exy player and he travels all over,” Jeremy continued as if Nicky didn’t say anything.    


Jean nodded. He hadn’t said a word before but he was listening. Thea rolled her eyes. “I want a gay best friend, Kevin,” she said.    


Kevin laughed a bit and shot Nicky a look in warning not to say anything. Nicky stuffed his free hand into his pocket and looked at each one in turn. He lifted his basket up to show he was going to speak. 

“Well, it was lovely to meet you all. But this gay has to get his beauty sleep.” He smiled at Thea. “I’ll see you at your spin class.”    


Thea’s mouth fell open a little. She obviously hadn’t meant for him to come, but if he was coming it would be more of a chance to torture him. Nicky saw it as an opportunity to get the dirt on her.    


“Oh yeah, 7 am, Downtown Spin Studio,” Thea said hesitantly. Nicky nodded and started walking backwards. 

“Good job on this one, Kevin. She’s all flawless this late at night. I mean look at me. I’m trash.” He laughed so fakely that it got pity looks from not only Jeremy and Jean but also from the worker who was stocking in the next aisle. 

Neil and Andrew appeared a moment later. Andrew was trying hard to hide a bright red mark on the side of his neck. He gripped Nicky’s shirt and tugged him down the store. “Let’s go,” he said, his voice thick and husky. Nicky gave Neil a look before he followed Andrew. 

They were back in the car after a few minutes, and Nicky pulled out his phone to find Thea’s Instagram page right away. The sight made him sick to his stomach. She was all abs and muscles. Her skin was flawless and she even had sexy pictures of her in her Foxes uniform. He closed out of his app and put his head against the window. How was he going to beat her?

Andrew parked right in front of Nicky’s townhouse and got out of the car. He turned to Nicky and flicked him on the forehead. “Get out of your head. Where is that confident lawyer I stalked online? Where’s that Harvard bitch?” Andrew asked. 

Nicky looked up at Andrew and sighed. He shrugged his shoulders. “She has my man. She’s like walking porn and I’m gross now.” 

Andrew opened his door, got out, and walked around to Nicky’s door. He gripped Nicky’s shoulders and pulled him out onto the curb. “Scream.”    


“Now? It’s like late.”    


“Now.”    


Nicky screamed awkwardly, his arms flailed around for a second. Andrew came close and slapped him across the face. 

“Scream,” he said. 

Nicky let out a loud bellow and pushed Andrew away from him.    


“You’re a bad bitch,” Andrew said. 

“I’m a bad bitch,” Nicky agreed. He smiled to Andrew and then turned towards the lights that came on in the next door home. 

Aaron stepped out of his home and crossed his arms. “You dickheads,” he called to them.    


Andrew went still, his teeth grinding together and his fist clenched. Nicky waved to Aaron. “We’re getting my anger out.” 

“Shut the fuck up and go to bed.” Aaron walked down his stoop and looked at Andrew. “What are you doing here?” He asked Andrew.    


Nicky’s eyes widened now that he saw them next to each other. “Holy...fucking shit.” Nicky pushed his hand up into his hair. “Is there like some family drama?”    


“No,” Andrew said.    


“Yes,” Aaron said. “What are you doing here?” 

“He’s my friend,” Nicky said, pointing at Andrew.    


“We’re not friends,” Andrew told his twin. 

“He’s helping me take down some girl to get my old boyfriend back,” Nicky said. Aaron looked from Andrew to Nicky. 

“You’re doing something for someone else?” He asked his brother. 

Andrew raised an eyebrow at him. “Surprised? Tried to help you too.”    


Aaron scoffed. “You need someone else helping you. Andrew is only going to ruin you.”    


“Are you offering?” Nicky asked. 

There was a silence in the air for a moment before Aaron clicked his tongue in a decision. “Yeah. I’m doing a study right now on human psychology which is going to be my next doctorate, and you’re about as weird as they come.” He took Nicky’s phone out of his hand and opened it to the pictures he was looking at. “Plus you’ll need a straight man’s opinion on things.” He looked at Thea’s latest photo. “She’s good looking.” 

“I never need straight men’s opinions on things, but I’ll take yours,” Nicky replied.  

Nicky sat in his living room with Aaron and Andrew at 6 in the morning the next  day. They were silently judging Nicky’s choice of athletic clothes. The doorbell rang then, and Andrew got up to go answer it. Nicky watched him go and then turned back to Aaron. He gave a pose and smiled. 

“I haven’t worked out for like five years now,” Nicky said.    


“That’s unhealthy.” Aaron was looking down at his phone. Nicky thought he was texting, but he was really taking notes. “Why?”    


“I haven’t had anyone to look good for.” Nicky pulled on a t shirt that he thought would conceal sweat the best. 

Andrew came back with Neil from the store. The on and off again boyfriend. Andrew was holding Neil’s hand this time. Neil wasn’t smiling, but he wasn’t frowning either. Andrew was frowning. 

“So you wanted some insight into Thea and Kevin.” Neil said. He sat down on the couch away from Aaron and watched Nicky, waiting for an answer.    
Nicky looked at Andrew a bit confused and then nodded. “Yeah. I mean yes, anything you got.” He was supposed to be leaving for the early morning spin class at Thea’s studio.    


“He’s not gay, Nicky,” Neil said.    


“Well…” Nicky started.    


“He’s not. He’s very good at pretending. He and Thea have been dating for years. Since the eighth grade and I’ve known Kevin since I was ten.” Neil moved over so Andrew could sit down. “He’s a brat and she puts up with it. The main reason they’re together is because they have contracts to play professionally like Jeremy and Jean next fall. Together they can hold up any backline and frontline.”    


Nicky raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what that means. I assume it’s--”   


“It’s Exy. Jesus, If you want to get in with Kevin, speak his language,” Neil said. “Thea is like four percent body fat.”    


Nicky looked down at his body and sighed. “Well...this is all enlightening. I need to get to her class to make nice with her.”    


“You’re gonna piss Kevin off. He doesn’t want you two talking or she’ll find out he slept with you or whatever,” Neil said.    


“I gotta get going to make nice,” Nicky said again, grabbing his keys. He wasn’t going to let Neil ruin this chance, even if he was telling the truth. Nicky chose to ignore all he said and walked on. 

Nicky arrived at Downtown Spin Studio five minutes past seven. He had to spend an extra two minutes sitting in his car trying to make his hair look good enough to intimidate Thea. When he finally got out and into the classroom, the class was already underway. Thea was in the front, a spotlight on her as she peddled away on her bike. A microphone was positioned near her mouth so she could call out new moves and speeds to do on the bike. Nicky picked a bike towards the back and tried to get on the same pace as everyone. Why were they going so fast? 

“And our late comer has finally arrived. Fantastic, now we can finally get out of child’s position. Up on your legs and pedal up that hill,” Thea said into her microphone. Everyone sat up on the bikes and started to pedal faster. Nicky sat up as well but it seemed that he couldn’t maintain the same speed as the others. 

Nicky pedaled harder and harder, the sweat on his back making a large mark which he was sure everyone could smell and see even in the dark light. In the front, Thea was still speaking but Nicky could only hear the blood rushing in his ears.    


“Okay everyone, look at the loser in the back. Now eyes back to me. Notice the nice curve of my ass that goes into my slim, slim waist all the way up to my very heterosexual boobs that men love,” Nicky imagined Thea was saying. “Everyone, as you climb up this hill, think to yourself what your goal is? Is it a successful and attractive professional exy player? Or is it an old, fat, loser who moved here for someone who didn’t even remember he existed?” Nicky didn’t think he could take an hour of this. 

Half way through the class, Nicky felt his body starting to give out on him. His bike seemed to go faster than his legs and next thing he knew he was on the ground with Thea standing over him. She had a wet towel in one hand and a water bottle in the other. 

“You fell out of a downhill. We were going thirty per hour,” she said in a voice that Nicky could tell was hiding her laughter. 

Nicky slowly sat up and she handed him his bottle. “Where did the others go?”    


“We finished the class while you were passed out and then they left.” Thea sat down next to him and wiped her neck with the damp towel. She smelled like cinnamon even after sweating for an hour.    


“I guess I haven’t uh...spun in that long.” Nicky took a sip from his water bottle and wiped his mouth. “You were good. They seem to really like you.”    


“Well that’s only my second class. I have like four more today,” Thea said.    


“Why so many?” Nicky asked, looking over at her.    


“Well, Kevin and I are trying to buy a place to buy an actual court for the team to practice in. Like a regulated court. But the land owners keep raising the price every month because they found out we qualify as a professional team.”    


Nicky’s lawyer brain turned on at that. So Thea wasn’t perfect, she was still struggling for money to get something and that was probably the biggest strain on the relationship. 

“You know I’m a lawyer. And I’ve handled real estate before,” he said. “I can take a look at the contract.” 

Thea looked at Nicky from out of the corner of her eye. “You’d do that for me? But...at the shop you seemed like you hated me.” 

“Oh no, sweetie. That’s just what we do. Hot alpha female, alpha gay male, just butt heads you know,” Nicky lied. 

“I knew you were gay.” She was quiet for a long while before turning to him. “I’ve always wanted a gay best friend but all the gays I know are really into sports so it’s not really like a real one, you know.” 

Red flags went off in Nicky’s head followed by exclamation points. This was his in to find out what made her and Kevin tick. To get him closer to Kevin. This was his chance. 

“You don’t have a gay best friend?” He turned it up to eleven. “Oh honey, you sure need one because you look a mess,” he said. 

“You what?” Andrew said as he stood at Nicky’s counter later that night. 

“I said I’d go clubbing with her and Kevin and the others.” Nicky poured half a glass of vodka into his cup, Kevin’s favorite drink according to his instagram, and then topped the rest with orange juice. He raised the glass to his lips when Andrew pulled it away. 

“What did you agree to do?” Andrew asked. 

“I am her new GBF.” Nicky rolled his eyes at that and took his cup back.    


“Isn’t the point to crush her, not to braid her hair?” Andrew said.    


Nicky snorted into his glass. “Stereotype much,” he said. 

“Regardless. You are now the best friend of your enemy.” 

“So I can get closer to Kevin while I get closer to Thea and rip them apart.”    


“This will end in flames,” Aaron said from the couch. He was writing on his laptop, no doubt documenting the conversation. 

“We’re all going to the club,” Neil said from his chair by Andrew. “Thea, Kevin, Nicky, Jeremy, Jean, Katelyn, Allison. Those two don’t have dates.” This meant that Andrew would go by default since Neil was going.    


“I have a date for Allison,” Nicky and Andrew said at the same time. They looked to each other knowingly. 

“And Dan will be there with her fiance,” Neil said. Andrew groaned. 

“What?” Nicky asked.    


“It’s bad enough I have to deal with Matt at work,” Andrew said.    


Nicky raised an eyebrow. He loved Matt but didn’t see how that was relevant. “What’s wrong with him?” 

“He’s engaged and he talks about it all the time,” Andrew explained.    


Neil waved a hand. “So you’re going to the club with us, Nick. You can’t go grinding up on Kevin unless you want a slap in the face from Thea. Or really more like a punch to the gut and then a chair broken over your back. She’s a wolf.” 

“Well I’m a...better wolf.” Nicky looked at Andrew for confirmation. Andrew just nodded. “Well there you go.” He heard his phone buzz and looked down at it for a second. 

Erik. 

_ Hey I heard you were going out with us to the club on Friday. See you then. Love to catch up with you and apologize for last time. -Erik  _

Nicky gave a small smile and sent a heart back to him. Erik was so sweet and Nicky almost felt bad that he used him to get to a party that Kevin wasn’t even at. Almost. 

Friday rolled around sooner than Nicky thought and with it came Thea in her mustang. She honked once before walking into his townhouse and smiling. How did she even get his address and was she alone? Nicky looked over her shoulder to see if Kevin was with her. He gave her a smile as the silence built between them. He then realized how gross he looked at that moment in his sweatpants and tshirt. 

“Isn’t it at 10 tonight?” Nicky asked in lieu of a hello. 

“Oh my God, I thought you gays were supposed to be fabulous and shit. Don’t you know you have to get ready at least five hours beforehand?” Thea pushed past him and walked into his room. “Now let’s see what you got that’ll make all the boys stare.” 

Nicky really didn’t think she wanted the one person he was thinking of to stare at his ass. And he wasn’t sure he was as fabulous as he once was. Once he got his lawyer job, his sexy college years went out the window and he became fat and completely unfabulous. It was a little disheartening to think of what he once was. 

Thea went through his closet one article of clothing at a time and threw them down on the floor. “Gross. Gross. Gross,” she said almost in rhythm. Pick up a shirt, throw it down. Pick up a shirt, throw it down. Nicky’s shoulders slumped a little more with each item she dropped. 

“Okay I don’t really have--”    


“This thing.” Thea pulled out a crop top. It wasn’t the nice thing he had on at the last party. He didn’t even know when he wore it last. It was black and lacy at the sleeves but velvet on the front. 

“I can try it on.” He touched his stomach a bit nervously. He knew he didn’t have his old six pack. Luckily his mother did give him naturally tan skin so he’d still be living the caramel sundae dream. 

He took the piece and walked into the bathroom. Thea sat down on the bed and pulled out skinny jean after skinny jean. If there was one thing, Nicky was proud of his legs. He walked out in the little shirt and shrugged. It fit but not well. He felt tight but by the look on Thea’s face told him that he was going to be wearing this tonight.    
In the bathroom, Thea did her makeup while Nicky did his hair. She often turned to him to ask for advice on what color went with what. He did his best to play the GBF like she wanted. In return he asked her questions about Kevin and how they were.    


“Kevin doesn’t think about anything but Exy. And that’s amazing. I want him focused and dedicated, but he never asks me how I am or what I’m thinking of. I asked him once if I looked nice in a dress, and he just shrugged and went off to play with the boys.” She slathered on her mascara as she spoke. 

Nicky frowned at her and patted her shoulder. “You deserve the best, girl.” 

“You know that’s really how we got started. We were at practice when we were twelve and he wasn’t focused on me. So I got better. I got better than him. And then he finally took notice.” She moved on to lips while Nicky focused on gelling up his hair. 

“That’s men for--”    


“And you know what? That’s what’s wrong with men. Women work so hard to get noticed and it’s sad because we’re worth so fucking much. We don’t need to work hard because men should just be grateful that we even show a speck of interest in them.” She was ranting now. 

Nicky pretended to listen, occasionally throwing a ‘yas queen’ or ‘I know that’s right’ into the conversation. An hour later, Thea walked out of the bathroom in a skin tight silver cocktail dress. NIcky’s mouth dropped. How was she so gorgeous? Her calves were flawless, her figure was perfect. She had no flaws on her at all. Down to the tips of her toes which were colored a bright red. 

Thea took out her phone and pulled him close to her. He looked good but he looked better when eclipsed by her. He supposed it was that old theory that if you have a group of hot people around you’ll be hot by comparison. Thea raised her phone over her head and made what Nicky would only call a sexy face. He didn’t get that it was a selfie before she pulled the phone down and looked at the picture. 

“Wait do it again, I wasn’t ready.” he told her. Thea raised the phone again and Nicky did his best to pull off his old twink routine. In his mind he was thinking, ‘30 is not old’. He pressed out his lips for the photo. 

Eden’s was packed to the brim but Andrew managed to get the five of them, himself, Nicky, Thea, Aaron, and Neil, to the front of the line. Neil and Andrew were dressed in all black but seemed to be at home in the pulsing music and blinking lights. The bouncer in the front opened the line for them when he saw Neil. “Party’s already inside.” he said in a gruff voice. 

“Thanks,” Neil said, pulling Andrew forward. Aaron followed beside him and Thea pulled Nicky in. 

“Go get me a drink and I’ll go find Kevin and introduce Aaron to Katelyn.” Thea pointed over towards a table that Nicky could barely see. He saw a tall girl leaning over a smaller girl with rainbow hair and then he saw Matt who saw him and waved. 

Thea was pushing through the crowd, leaving Nicky there. He pushed his own way through towards the bar and managed to get a spot. The bartender turned around and paused when he saw Nicky. It was Erik. Of course it was Erik, Erik worked here. He smiled brightly at Nicky and placed his elbow on the counter to get closer. The music was so loud they could barely hear each other. 

“This is a surprise,” Erik said, practically yelled, into his ear. 

“I’m here with friends. Thea thinks I’m her gay best friend,” Nicky told him. 

Erik looked confused. “You’re with Kevin and his friends?” 

“Yeah, but he said you’d be joining. Or Neil did.” Nicky looked over at the group at the table. He could see Jean and Jeremy more clearly now. Aaron and Katelyn were speaking which was nice to see. The tall blonde girl was already dancing with Renee. He recognized her finally. Matt and Dan were laughing over drinks. 

“I planned on it. But I had to pick up a shift so now I can party with you all from behind the bar,” Erik said. He started to make a drink and passed it to Nicky when it was done. 

“That’s Thea’s regular. And you can take this one.” He made another and passed it to him. “Have fun and come back over to me when you can.” 

Nicky carried the drinks over to Thea and smiled at everyone. Kevin looked up from the table and his eyes went wide when he saw Nicky. Nicky, who was still trying to play cool around Thea, waved at Kevin. He took a sip of his drink and turned to Thea. 

“Did you find everyone?” Nicky asked Thea. She was already dancing to the music that seemed to surround them. Nicky tried to bob his head to the music as he drank which didn’t go well. 

“I found everyone.” Thea gestured to the group around them. She drank the beverage that Nicky had brought her and started to dance up against him. “Kevin come dance!” 

Kevin, who was half way through what seemed to be his third drink, stood up and walked to grind against Thea’s backside. Nicky bit his tongue to try and keep from yelling. Thea was right up against him and he thought if the room was quieter, she would be able to hear his heart. 

Someone was behind Nicky, but in the dark light he couldn’t tell who it was. And then he had another drink pressed in his hand. He looked over at Jeremy who was dancing with Jean who looked like he was less comfortable with that. Jeremy looked over to Nicky and winked at him. Nicky took that moment to locate everyone else. Andrew and Neil at the table, staring at each other rather intensely. Aaron dancing with Katelyn and trying to yell over the music to ask her questions which she clearly couldn’t hear. Over there was Matt and Dan, doing a few more shots and licking salt off each other’s arms. Nicky could see a diamond glittering on Dan’s finger. Renee was kneeling in the middle of the dance floor, tying Allison’s strappy high heel that had come undone. 

Nicky downed the drink and like that the glass was gone and Thea was in his ear. “I think Kevin is going to ask me to marry him sometime tonight,” she said. Nicky stopped dancing and stared at the floor where he was. 

After a moment he looked back up at her and laughed. “That’s so...great.” He sounded strained but she couldn’t tell. “Here, let’s grab a drink.” He walked to the table and grabbed some random drink off the table. “Drink this.”    


Thea downed the drink and gagged. “What was that?” 

“I have no idea,” Nicky said as he grabbed a shot. “Try this shot.” He had one himself. 

Thea threw it back and shook her hair out. God, she was a goddess. The alcohol burned Nicky’s throat but he enjoyed the pain. At least it was better than the pain he’d be feeling once he saw Kevin propose to her and break his heart. Thea pulled Nicky back to the dance floor to start grinding up against  him again. After a moment he pulled away. 

“I’m gonna go get more drinks. Because you need one. Okay! Keep it sassy fierce or whatever.” He trailed off as he walked off towards the bar. “Bitch.” He slapped the counter and looked up to Erik. “I need a large tray of alcohols. Strong ones.” He put his credit card down. “Keep this for now.” 

Erik took Nicky’s credit card and raised an eyebrow. “Okay but you can’t be drinking these on your own. I’ll cut you off if you come back for more.” He started making a large tray of drinks for Nicky to take back. 

“Thank you, Erik. I really appreciate it.” 

“What’s got you worked up anyway?” Erik asked as he poured tequila into a shot glass and put it on the tray. 

Nicky took it and threw it back before passing it back for him to refill. “Kevin is probably going to marry Thea.” 

Erik nodded. “Probably. But can’t you be happy for them?” Erik asked. He put a glass of bourbon next to the shot glass. 

“No. No I can not. I have been in love with that man since I was….uh like young.” He couldn’t remember the exact age but he knew it was a long time. 

“Nicky, people change and move on. Maybe you would be happier if you just let him go? Find an actual gay man to love.” Erik shook his head. 

“Hey! Kevin is probably bi. Bi people are humans too. I can love a bi man.” 

“I’m sure you can love a bi man. But Kevin...he’s happy with Thea. Take it from me.” 

Nicky collected his tray of drinks and rolled his eyes. “You’re stuck behind this bar all the time. What do you know?” He walked away. 

Nicky returned to the table with the tray laden with alcohol. He beckoned Thea over and had her throw back a few more shots before they sauntered back out to the dance floor. Matt pressed up against Nicky and smiled down at him. Jesus he was tall. He pointed at Dan, dancing next to him. 

“This is Dan. She’s on Kevin’s team and my fiancee,” Matt yelled over the music. 

“Nice to meet you,” Dan said. Nicky nodded because he had already met her before but he could feel the alcohol moving in his system and he knew that she was feeling the same.

“Everyone’s getting married, huh?” Nicky yelled a little too loudly and Matt had to back away. 

“Probably. It’s in the air.” 

“Fuck the air,” Nicky slurred. He turned back to Thea. “Nother shot, bitch.” 

Thea nodded and they both took off towards the table to throw one back. After six shots of tequila for him, and four bourbons for her, they both danced a hell of a lot better. But they both had no sense of space. Thea rocked her body against his and laughed at something funny that he didn’t say. Kevin had seemed to disappear to go dance with Jeremy and Jean but Thea only just seemed to notice. 

“Here. Kiss me. It’ll be so funny,” Thea said over the music. She leaned in and planted a kiss on Nicky’s lips. Nicky pulled away and laughed. 

“I’m gay,” he told her. 

“I know, but it’ll make Kevin jealous.” 

“No. Kevin knows I’m gay.” But then it dawned on him that either way, if Kevin liked him or her, he would be jealous. Nicky grabbed Thea’s face and kissed her back. 

She pulled away in disgust. “No. Not that way. Cute kisses. For attention. I don’t want to make out with you.” She stomped back over to the table. “Everyone always wants to have sex with me.” 

Nicky looked around a bit confused before following her. “Babe, look. It’s all okay because now it’s full circle.” 

Kevin walked over to the two of them and placed a hand on Nicky’s back. It was a little lower than he probably meant to be. NIcky turned around to face him. 

“Everything okay over here?” he asked. He had a vodka in his hand and Nicky could smell it on his breath. 

“Kevin!” Nicky pulled him close by the shirt and pressed a kiss to his mouth. 

Fireworks went off in his head at the kiss. Even though they were both plastered, Nicky remembered the joy he felt when Kevin was around him back in summer camp. He felt his heart beating faster and faster and then….nothing. The fireworks disappeared as if they were never set off in the first place. Kevin pulled away from Nicky and looked at him with a shocked expression. 

“The fuck. Nicky, you fucking asshole. I’m not gay anymore.” Kevin moved backwards. 

“Anymore?” Thea had seen the whole thing. “What do you mean anymore?” 

The three of them looked at each other to see which one would shoot first. Nicky cleared his throat and noticed that the other members of their party were watching too. 

“Kevin and I hooked up in summer camp back in sophomore year,” Nicky said. 

“In college?” Thea asked. 

“High school,” Nicky corrected. 

Thea stared at Kevin and then looked to Nicky. “And that’s why you wanted to be my best friend? To get back with Kevin?” She shook her head in disbelief and prepared to walk away. “I thought you were really my friend.” 

Kevin grabbed Thea by the hand. “Thea. Stop. What Nicky and I had was a fling because you and I were on a break that summer. Remember? I was just trying to get my mind off of you. It hurt so much to be away from you.” He touched her face. “I love you. I always have loved you. Please, Thea. I’m sorry and I should have told you back then. I don’t know what I am, but I know that I choose you no matter how hot other girls and guys are.” He got down on one knee. “Thea, marry me. Be that other half to our power couple.” 

Nicky’s heart broke. He took a step back and threw up all over the ground while Thea put the ring on. He had to get out of there. Andrew was at his side and Neil and Aaron were trailing after him. They brought him to the bathroom and let him throw up in the toilet. Nicky had thought it would hurt worse. He had prepared himself for the pain but this wasn’t as bad as he thought. The kiss wasn’t even that great. Nicky sobbed, realizing he had wasted his life focusing on one guy from sophomore year. 

The three other men did nothing to comfort him. They put a cold towel on his neck but that was all. Nicky put his head against the back of the toilet as he let the tears flow from his eyes. 

“I thought it would be worse. I...I can’t do this.” Nicky shook his head. 

“Nicky.” Aaron knelt next to him but didn’t touch him. “Maybe it’s best if you just move on. You should have moved on years ago.” 

Neil tugged Andrew’s arm. “I’m getting someone.” He walked out of the bathroom leaving Nicky alone with the twins. 

Andrew patted the top of Nicky’s head. “I knew if I didn’t help you, that you’d do something dumb like this. I should have just said get over it. I should have told you to go back home.” 

Nicky shook his head at that. He would have died back in Seattle. It was all coming together now but he didn’t have the breath to explain it to the twins. How this wasn’t actually for Kevin. How Kevin was just an idea that ended up being less than. How Columbia was what he needed. He needed a change. He wondered if he had moved on from Kevin back when, if he would have had to have those doctor’s appointments, those medications, the psychiatrist, the need to get two law degrees. Was Kevin the reason behind it? 

Neil returned with Erik. The twins moved from the bathroom stall out into the open. Erik took Aaron’s place beside Nicky and placed a warm hand on his back. 

“I saw. Oh Nicky, I’m so sorry. I tried to warn you,” Erik whispered to him. The thump of the bass pounded the walls and Nicky’s head. 

“I...I don’t love Kevin Day. I don’t...I don’t know if I ever did really,” Nicky said. 

“Okay. We can talk after I shut down. I know where you can stay until you’re calm.” Erik lifted Nicky to his feet and escorted him to the back of the bar, through the kitchen, and into the storage room. The sound was almost blocked out and Nicky could breathe for a moment. Erik brought him a coat to cover up with and knelt in front of him. 

“How are you feeling now?” He asked. 

“Like a fucking idiot.” Nicky whispered. He took out his phone and tossed it around in his hands. 

“Yeah. I can imagine.” He kissed the top of Nickys’ head which was the first sign of affection that Nicky had had since that party. 

Erik left to go finish his shift and it seemed like forever until he came back. With him, he brought the sun and as he opened the storage door, Nicky could imagine the sun shining through his hair. He thought of Erik’s sweet smile and his warm hands. The way he was gentle with him but honest. Erik who he could see holding him as he fell asleep. Erik who he could see laughing with him over dinner. Erik. Erik. Erik. Suddenly the image of the perfect man he had been holding onto since he was a teenager was no longer Kevin Day. It was Erik Klose. 

“I brought you some jalapeno poppers.” Erik sat the basket of greasy food down on the box next to him and sighed. “Nicky? Do you want to talk?” He sat down on the floor in front of him. 

“When I was around fourteen, I met this guy. He was everything I thought I wanted. He was sweet and handsome and actually talked to me. See, I wasn’t allowed to think of boys when I grew up. My father tried to beat it out of me and my mother didn’t do anything to stop him. Like not physical but you know what I mean. And I dreamed that one day I would find a guy who liked me for being nothing but me. When I met Kevin, I was in love because he was the only thing I had to compare love to. I let him touch me and he asked if I could blow him. We had a fun time going canoeing and swimming. We made smores and sang campfire songs, and I thought it was love. I was a kid, what else did I know? When he left, I held onto this image of the perfect guy that would be waiting for me. But I never saw him again. That thought of the perfect guy kept me from breaking through both degrees and my dad’s constant bitching. The idea got me through hard times where I was on the verge of suicide, Erik. I went to a mental hospital to get help but all I could think about was someone was going to come save me. And I saw him that one day and I knew I had to follow him because he was the one that saved me. But he was just the face I put to the image.” Nicky curled into himself and looked away from Erik’s gaze. 

“Maybe he was the image, but you were the one saving yourself. You’re stronger than you think, Nicky.” Erik took one of Nicky’s hands and held it. “And maybe you can’t see it, but you’re the perfect image that you were looking for. Anyone would be lucky to have you.” 

Nicky wished he had a mint before doing what he knew he was going to do. He leaned forward and kissed Erik on the lips, his hand splayed against Erik’s neck and cheek, his other hand on his shoulder. The moment their lips kissed Nicky felt fireworks explode. These fireworks were fourth of July at Disney World where Kevin’s fireworks were from local high school’s varsity football team. Erik kissed Nicky back which made his heart soar. Someone actually cared for him and wanted him back. He wasn’t a waste of space in Erik’s eyes. He was something that Erik treasured. And Nicky should have known. He should have realized that Erik was the one he was waiting for. From the first moment they met, he should have known. If only he actually tried to get to know him back then. 

Nicky pulled away from Erik after a moment and smiled. HIs cheeks were red and Erik hadn’t commented about his vomit breath. Erik was smiling widely at him and he had a cute little dimple that Nicky had never noticed. He had to resist the urge to stick his finger right there against his mouth and touch it. 

“Wow. Guess I’m the lucky one,” Nicky whispered to him. 

Erik pushed Nicky’s hair back like they did in movies, or at least attempted. Nicky’s hair was stuck up with so much product to make him look as fabulous as possible while dancing hard. 

“I think we can both be lucky at least a little bit.” Erik leaned forward to kiss him once more. This one was gentle and sweet. 

Nicky watched Erik and Erik watched Nicky. They were studying each other in ways that a detective would study a crime scene. It appeared to them both at the same time that they had made a choice and it was right. The door to the storage room opened up and Kevin came in. He had a sad look on his face and Nicky felt his heart turning around with his stomach. 

“Can...can I see Nicky for a moment?” Kevin asked Erik. Erik looked at Nicky for a moment before putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“Just be quick and don’t hurt him, Kevin.” Erik walked past Kevin and shut the door behind him as he exited. 

Kevin sighed and rubbed the back of his neck before sitting down on a box by the door. They didn’t look at each other for a while. The two just sat in silence. There was Kevin, the engaged man, and Nicky, the one who finally figured things out. Nicky was the first one to break the silence. 

“Kevin. I’m sorry. All of this really must have been awkward for you. I never meant to come in between you and Thea. Really I didn’t. I’m drunk and I didn’t mean to kiss you like that, it just came out,” Nicky said quickly. 

Kevin held up a hand for him to stop. “Why did you come here? It seems like you followed me out here and ever since you showed up, I can’t get you out of my head,” he said. 

Nicky took a while to think of an answer before he finally opened his mouth. “Looking back on it, that might have been the reason I came. I saw you and I wanted to be as wild and free as you. And you were the one part of my childhood that made me happy. But now I know I moved here for me. You just gave me the push. You were my fantasy but people grow up and change. I think it’s time I grew up too.” He stood up, a little wobbly, and went over to Kevin with his hand out. 

“We can still be friends.” Kevin stood up and took his hand. “Because I like you in a platonic way, Nicky. I was just scared you’d do something crazy so I avoided you.” 

“That was a very straight thing to say.” Nicky shook Kevin’s hand before he was pulled into a hug. 

They held each other for a moment, Kevin’s arms wrapped fully around his back while Nicky rested his chin on Kevin’s shoulder. “I’ll see you around,” Kevin whispered as he pulled away. He kissed Nicky’s cheek before walking out of the storage room only to be replaced by Erik. 

Nicky looked up at Erik and smiled at him. Erik smiled back and walked up to wrap Nicky in another hug. Nicky enjoyed the warmth of Erik’s hug and he could feel that Erik was giving him this hug out of pure selflessness. Nicky put a kiss to Erik’s shoulder and looked up at him. 

“Am I crazy?” Nicky asked him. 

Erik laughed quickly and placed a kiss to his cheek. “Yes. But that’s what makes you special.” 

**Author's Note:**

> This story took me months and months to write! I had the encourage of my friends and also the Big Bang to push me along. So much thanks to @artemis_west for beta'ing and my lovely artist whatbutandreil on Tumblr. Pls go check them both out!


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